Lonely sad woman sitting pensive and daydreaming or waiting for someone in the living room … [+]
Mental health-related absences are skyrocketing. New research from ComPsych, the world’s largest provider of mental health services, shows that mental health-related absenteeism will increase by 300% between 2017 and 2023, and in 2023 alone it will increase by 33%. I found that it increased by %. Additionally, the study found that this increase was primarily driven by women. In 2023, 69% of mental health leave was taken by women.
In fact, mental health time off is so important that a Chinese supermarket recently made headlines by introducing a policy that allows employees to take up to 10 “unhappy days” per year. A better solution is to create a culture and attitude towards well-being that mental health time off is not necessary. Until that happens, it’s no wonder that mental health-related leave will continue to increase in companies.
Dr. Richard Chaifetz, leading mental health expert and CEO of ComPsych, discusses the current state of mental health in the workplace, the unique challenges women face, and the solutions companies can implement to better support their employees. Masu.
Anxiety surpasses depression as top mental health concern
One of the most interesting insights from the research is the change in the main reasons people seek mental health support. For the first time, anxiety has overtaken depression, with depression dropping to fifth place. Stress, relationship problems and general psychological issues round out the top five. Dr. Chaifetz explained that this change may be influenced by changes in social perception. “Given the current social climate, people feel more comfortable saying they are anxious. Anxiety is a much more comfortable thing to report.”
The data supports Dr. Chaifetz’s hunch. Approximately half of people are comfortable talking about mental health at work. While this percentage isn’t as high as it should be, it’s a good sign that topics that used to be considered taboo in the workplace are becoming less taboo. One theory for the increase is that the situation has not suddenly worsened, but rather that people are now in a more psychologically safe work environment and are less likely to say things or take time out that they were previously reluctant to request. This means that it is now possible to do so.
“People are now much more comfortable talking about seeing a therapist,” says Dr. Chaifetz. “In fact, it’s become epidemic. How many people do you see at parties talking about therapists and discussing their problems? Even when we talk to our clients, they sit down in a meeting and start talking about their mental health issues as openly as they would talk about breaking their ankle.”
Another key factor fueling anxiety can come down to paperwork. Dr. Chaifetz suspects inaccurate diagnostic labels may be at play. “Relationship issues are always severe and often get coded in different ways, but when you get down to the underlying issues, there may be depression or anxiety that’s causing larger relationship issues.”
What is causing this sharp increase in women taking mental health leave?
The dramatic increase in women taking mental health leave likely reflects broader trends in workplace gender dynamics that are yet to be resolved. For example, the 2023 McKinsey Women in the Workplace report found that women experience microaggressions at significantly higher rates than men, which contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety in the workplace. got it. The report goes on to say that women who experience microaggressions at work are three times more likely to consider quitting their job and four times more likely to experience burnout most of the time.
Another hypothesis is that women take sabbaticals in the hope that if they take a little time off rather than quitting altogether, they might be able to manage their work situation. The decision to quit or stay is always a difficult one, but by the time the question of whether to quit comes up, the decision is often already made somewhere subconscious.
4 ways to improve mental health at work
Employers have a duty of care to improve mental health, as 83% of respondents in a recent Headspace survey said work was the main source of stress. Dr. Chaifetz pointed to several organizations that have been recognized for their excellent mental health and wellness programs. “We have an awards program that recognizes companies with the best wellness programs,” Dr. Chaifetz said. “These organizations are leading the way in mental health support, showing that it is possible to create a supportive and healthy work environment.” 2023 winners include NVIDIA, Gallagher, Bayer and more It is included.
1: Allocate the right resources to your team
Most workplace stress comes from an unbearable workload, and until companies solve this problem, other mental health initiatives are likely to have little effect (if any).
2: Showing the weaker side of the leader
Invite leaders to share their own experiences with mental health, and encourage others in your company to share theirs as well. Host a panel on mental health where leaders and others in the company share their struggles, their fear of speaking up, the anxieties they faced, and the “epiphany” they had when they knew it was time to make a change. We talk candidly about our moments and more.
3: Normalize talking about mental health
Involve as many people as possible in the conversation. And above all, create a space to share these stories in a way that’s unique to your company. For example, a few years ago, Facebook ran a campaign called #OpenUp to encourage people to share their stories. The campaign was based on the image of the butterfly, a universal symbol of hope. Collecting and archiving the stories that surface allows people to view them, feel less alone, and encourage them to share their own stories as well.
4: Promote compassion as a core value and part of our culture
Check in on your colleagues. EY had a famous campaign — “Are you OK?” — that got colleagues to check in on each other by asking just one simple question. Take it a step further and create a list of conversation starters that people can use to check in with each other. This will give you gentle prompts for questions you can ask your colleagues if you want to check in but aren’t sure how to do so appropriately or discreetly.
